A deadly game
by LobeIsAllYouNeed
Summary: Cuddy has gotten herself in some real trouble, trying to solve a mystery from her past. Will House be able to step up and help/save her? AU story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea came to me today and I decided to write it right away. This story takes place in an AU, where Cuddy seems to have gotten herself in some big trouble... I didn't have a beta reader for this and English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes**. **R&R to let me know if it's worth continuing or not please.**

Disclaimer: I do not own House MD or any of it's characters. It's property of David Shore and FOX. If they were mine, things would have been totally different now.

* * *

><p><strong><em>A deadly game<em>**

* * *

><p><em>Prologue<em>

So this was it. While the darkness was closing itself around her, there was only one thought that kept playing through her head. How the hell had she gotten herself into this mess? It was as if her own mind was playing a cruel, sadistic game with her. No matter how hard she tried to forget about her naivety, the thoughts kept firing themselves back at her. They were all she could focus on. Well, that and the pain obviously.

She had been hoping she would be able to shut it out. Many stories and rumors go around about the moment before one dies: tales about white lights, ghost appearances, out-of-body experiences and memories flashing by. But those weren't the things she was interested in right now. She didn't care for them, nor did she believe in any of those things.

No. Lisa Cuddy was a rational woman, only believing in what she could see with her own eyes, what she could explain with her own mind. That was what she trusted and she would secretly ridicule people who spent their lives advocating any other truth than the truth of science. Having spent a great deal of her life with books as her best and frankly only friends made for the fact that she happened to know a tad bit about the way the human body works. Okay, that was an understatement. Having been a doctor once, she knew a lot about it and right now, she couldn't help but remember that our body, in its own way, can give us one last moment of utter peace before it decides to completely shut down.

Like the flame of an almost burnt down candle slowly extinguishes before it is reduced to a small film of smoke, our mind can numb pain gradually until at a certain point, one feels nothing at all anymore. What wouldn't she have given to experience that; for the aching to just go away, even if it were only for a second. To experience those heavenly moments free of pain before it would mercilessly strike back again with full force and shut down her mind leaving her body behind as a useless pile of bones.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to think time had come to punish her for her impiety, since she could feel the blood slowly escaping her body, trickling down her ribcage to make contact with the hard, cold concrete underneath her. Her head was throbbing due to the gash above her right eyebrow, some strands of her short, dark hair sticking to the dried blood around it. While her arteries where slowly being drained, she could feel the pain, mercilessly radiating from the giant gape just beneath her shoulder, making its way through her beaten and bruised body, raging like a cold fire.

She had given up on fighting it, given up on trying to alarm someone. The gag that had rudely been shoved into her mouth and the tight ties that were slowly cutting in the skin of her wrists and ankles prevented her from doing so anyway. The fighting phase had passed hours ago, preceded by panic, followed by helplessness and eventually acceptance. Accepting her destiny, she was now only waiting for the inevitable to arrive.

While she was counting down the minutes before her body would stop functioning at all, pain etched on her delicate features, she once more thought about the ridiculousness of this whole situation. Here she was, lying on the filthy concrete of a dark, abandoned alley surrounded by darkness, life slowly being sucked out of her, while a mere 50 yards further, thousands of citizens went on with their daily lives oblivious to her predicament.

Students would be getting out to party, celebrating the end of their midterms. Husbands would be found fighting over cabs, eager to leave their concrete work prisons and go home to spent time with their wives and kids. Loners would roam the street longing for company and drowning their sorrows in alcohol in one of the many sinister bars around town. All the while, she would be lying in the same spot, unable to move or scream, slowly bleeding to death.

People always feel the need to romanticize death, hoping it will somehow make the concept less painful or harsh. Children aren't told their favorite pet is dead. No, we tell them it's just going to a better place or going to sleep for eternity. It occurred to her that she actually was going to slip into her perpetual sleep in the metropolis famously known as 'the city that never sleeps'. Could it be more ironic?

In fact, because of the absurdity of her situation, she thought this scene could have easily been taken from one of those cheap novels one reads while on vacation, when the only thing you want to do is give your brain some rest and relax. Trying to forget about your own life and its problems, you immerse yourself in these stories, fully aware of the storyline and its ending long before you have reached the last page, but not caring either way.

In hindsight, she should have known how all of this would end long before the whole situation occurred too, should have been aware this would end badly. There had been enough indications foreshadowing this outcome. Yet, she had failed to notice, had been in way over her head, too determined to find out the truth and free herself of the burden that had been pressing on her shoulders for as long as she could remember.

Tortured by these thoughts of her own failure, a last punishment for her imprudence it seemed, she noticed her surroundings became a haze before everything eventually went black.

* * *

><p><strong>So what the hell happened to Cuddy? Just let me know if you wanna find out and I'll continue :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just want to thank all of you for the reviews/alerts/favorites. In return I give you chapter 2 :). I should be studying right now but I couldn't focus and decided to write a bit instead. That explains the shortness of this chapter for which I apoligize. I also want to apologize in advance for any mistakes. R&R and enjoy!**

Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Bummer.

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 1<span>  
><em>

_A few weeks earlier:_

Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was humming with activity. The flu season had arrived causing the clinic to be swamped with patients. Nurses were running around, admitting patient after patient and trying to assign them a free space in the crowded waiting area. Every doctor that had a few minutes of spare time on his or her hands was assigned extra clinic duty and all of them were doing it willingly. Well, all of them but one…

While everyone was giving as much help as they possibly could, Dr. Gregory House could be found in exam room 2, alone. He had been down there for a couple of hours, without seeing a single patient. As this was quite the usual behavior for the cranky doctor, no one would normally care to bother him, not wanting to be on the receiving end of one of his snarky comments.

But today was different since they needed every room they had to be able to cope with all the sick people. Some of the nurses and even one of his own ducklings, Dr. Chase, had already tried to get him out of there, but it was all in vain. They all knew that in moments like this there was only one person who could get through to him: Dr. Lisa Cuddy, their very own Dean of Medicine with whom House shared quite a history.

After having been informed of the 'situation', the fierce doctor sauntered over to the exam room, her high heels angrily clacking on the hospital floor. She burst through the door, startling the blue-eyed doctor from his thoughts. "House! Care to explain why you have been camping out here for hours instead of doing your clinic duty like everyone else?" she shouted at him, but her words didn't seem to carry their usual power. "Why Doctor Cuddy, what has gotten your panties all in a bunch today?" he retorted, pushing her buttons some more, needing to see if his theory was right.

Cuddy sighed knowing that this was going to be another one of their famous standoffs. On any other day she would have been ok with that, but not today. She wasn't in the mood for his antics. This day was already hard enough for her, without her most infamous doctor pulling her pigtails.  
>House noticed his boss heaving a frustrated sigh before they had even started their sparring match and quickly added that to his mental board of 'symptoms'. He was almost sure something was off. To any normal person she would appear perfectly normal, but not to him. He had noticed the little telltale signs. After all, that was what he was paid for: to notice little details no one else did and by doing so he saved many lives.<p>

But today the brilliant doctor used those talents to observe his boss lady, something he did quite often lately. When he had arrived at the hospital this morning he had been surprised when he 'accidently' ran into her. The always impeccably looking Dean had bags under her eyes, which she had tried to mask with an extra layer of make-up. Even though she had been able to conceal them quite well, House's trained eye didn't fail to notice. Neither had he missed her being slightly distracted and not making her usual fuss about him arriving late for the umpteenth time.

Those had been his first signs that something was wrong and he had made it his personal mission to find out what was off. She has been given the 'privilege' to become his newest puzzle. This was also the reason why he had been camping in the exam room for hours now. He needed to know if his suspicions were true and there was no better way to find out than in one of their famous verbal spats. If she couldn't match his wit today then he would know for sure that he was right and he wouldn't rest before he had gotten to the bottom of it.

"House, answer me!" she hissed, startling him again from his thoughts. "I'm in here because I'm protecting your precious little hospital's greatest asset of course", the obnoxious doctor quickly replied with a blank face. Confusion was etched all over her face now while she was looking around the room. She was trying hard to decipher his little riddle but with her mind being elsewhere today, she couldn't quite figure out what he was getting at. The Dean sighed tiredly again and decided to just get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Don't play me House! There's nothing to protect here. You're in a standard exam room and you've been here alone the entire time." "Ah but you're playing me Cuddles!" he exclaimed, hoping the use of his little pet name for her would finally spur her to up her game and match his wit. Unfortunately, he only received another confused look from his boss in return. "We all know that I'm the biggest asset of this hellhole so I've to make sure I protect myself." House finished smugly, looking quite content with his own reasoning.

"Protect yourself against what?" she scoffed, clearly not buying anything he had just said. "Oh come on Cuddy, are you being intentionally dense?" This got him a glare in return, but still no smart mouthed retort came from his favorite sparring partner. "It seems that you have failed to notice, but flu season broke out Cuddles. There's a bunch of sick people out there", he said while pointing to the door and crinkling his nose at the thought of all those idiots sitting in the waiting room. "We wouldn't want your favorite diagnostician to catch their germs now would we? Imagine what would happen if he couldn't perform his job anymore. Those pompous pricks you call donors would have to find another hospital to give their precious money to", he told her with mock concern evident in his voice. It only earned him another roll of her eyes.

"Seriously though boss, on what planet have you been living today? You seem fairly distracted." For a fraction of a second, the look of a deer caught in headlights appeared on her face and even though it disappeared as soon as it had presented itself and was replaced with annoyance, he hadn't failed to notice. What the hell was going on with her today? Before he even had a chance to confront her she beat him to it. "I don't know what you're talking about House but I don't have time for your little games. Some of us actually do have to work. Now please go be your annoying, obnoxious self somewhere else. We need this room." And just with that she turned around and made her way to the door.

The diagnostician was stunned. She wasn't even going to try to manipulate him into helping out? No attempt to bargain at all? Something had to be wrong. "What, you're not going to throw a tantrum about me not helping the poor sick people? No manipulating, useless threatening and bargaining before you will eventually bend to my will anyway?" Lisa Cuddy just sighed and shook her head before she turned the knob of the door, leaving the exam room with slumped shoulders and without looking back. Oh yes, something was definitely wrong…

* * *

><p><strong>Constructive criticism is always welcome!<br>**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: *Hides in shame.* Okay guys, first of all, I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been shown recently that life truly can be a bitch. On top of everything happening in my personal life, we also had the news of House ending this season and Lisa not coming back for the finale and I got hooked on some other great series. All this just made my muse flee, I guess. So I want to apologize once more and I hope some of you are still around and remember this little story of mine. Also, if any of you guys are reading my other story 'Being The Better Man', I am working on an update for that one too. Hopefully it will be done by the end of this week. Oh, and I'm still beta-less, so all mistakes are mine. Now, on with the show!**

Disclaimer: Not even gonna bother anymore...

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 2<em>

_Previously on A Deadly Game:_

_Lisa Cuddy just sighed, slumped her shoulders and shook her head before she turned the knob of the door, leaving the exam room without looking back. Oh yes, something was definitaly wrong…_

House was momentarily stunned watching his boss lady walk away without the usual fierceness in her stride. Deciding that it was time to get lunch and some insight on the matter at hand from his personal psychologist slash best friend, he made his way to the elevator and the fourth floor. The closed door of the oncologist's office didn't deter the diagnostician in the slightest way. He just barged through it in his usual manner, announcing his presence to the occupants of the office in a singsong voice:

"Lunch time Jimmy! Your treat."

Upon finishing his sentence the blue eyed doctor was met with an annoyed expression from his best friend.

"By all means House, do come in! It's not like I have a patient or anything." the oncologist sarcastically replied while subtly nodding to an older man sitting across from him and looking rather surprised by the sudden interruption of his 'doctor-patient time'.

House, never one for following normal social conventions, just scoffed at Wilson before he turned his attention towards the graying and pale looking man in the office.

"Okay, you're visiting an oncologist, which means you're afraid that you probably have cancer, right?" The man just nodded hesitantly.

"Well, judging by the pitiful look Jimmy over there has been giving you, I'm gonna go with yes you're indeed sick and it's terminal. You've got about three months left to live. I'm very, very sorry. Now, goodbye!"

Looking anything but sorry he ushered the shocked and now even paler looking guy out of the office before slumping down in one of the chairs across from Wilson, who didn't look very pleased with his friends rude behavior.

"House, that was totally uncalled for! Mr. Rodgers doesn't even have cancer, it was a malignant mass!" he exclaimed.

"Ah well, all the better then, right Jimmy?"

Wilson just sighed and decided to let it go, knowing that nothing he could say would make his friend change.

"Now, to what do I owe the honor of you barging through my door again?"

"I need your advice on something."

Upon hearing this, the oncologist's bushy eyebrows almost reached his hairline, making him look rather comically. He then, calmly, stood up and made his way to the window.

"Huh." he said thoughtfully.

House, confused and slightly amused by this odd behavior only asked:

"What?"

"I was sure I was going to see flying pigs. I mean, the great Gregory House is actually asking for my advice?" he teasingly answered.

"Haha, you're hilarious Jimmy. No wonder all those cancer kids like you so much."

Ignoring his friends antics, Wilson instead decided to address the matter at hand.

"So, you needed some insight?" he questioned, unable to hide the smirk on his face.

Clearly annoyed House answered: "Yes and if you don't wipe that smug grin off your face I'm just gonna have to beat it off."

"Ok, ok!" Wilson held up his hands and schooled his features, knowing it was better not to mess with his friend when he was in a mood.

"So what's up House?"

"It's Cuddy, something is wrong with her today."

"Uhu. And you know this how exactly?"

"I just see it Jimmy. She let me out of clinic duty without a fight, didn't nag about me being late again this morning and…" he trailed off. "I don't know, she just seems out of it."

"And you don't think that maybe she's just too busy to deal with your shenanigans right now? It's not like it's flu season or something."

House again just scoffed. James Wilson might be his best friend, but if you asked the diagnostician, he wasn't always the brightest.

"Right, when has she ever stopped bugging me about me not wanting to help het poor, sick people in her precious clinic? I'm telling you Wilson, something's off."

Realization dawned on the oncologist and he quietly said:

"Huh, now that makes sense."

"What? She said something to you? You guys had some of your sister bonding time again during which she poured her heart out?" House asked, inching closer to Wilson. He had a feeling that the solution to his latest puzzle might be close.

"No…" Wilson trailed off and just smirked again.

Getting annoyed by the behavior of his best friend the grumpy doctor just growled: "Then what Jimmy? What makes sense? By all means, do share it with the rest of the class please!"

"You're making this up."

"Oh come on…" House exclaimed before the oncologist interrupted him.

"No, it makes sense. Cuddy is ignoring you right now, which makes you feel neglected. And now you are making up some crazy story about something being wrong with her so you have a 'legitimate' reason to keep annoying her."

"Seriously Wilson? Do you even believer yourself?"

"Yes, I do. I'm telling you House, don't obsess over this. Don't make Cuddy one of your puzzles. Just leave her alone. The woman's already busy enough. God knows she doesn't need to have to deal with your antics on top of everything else!"

"On top of everything else? Ha! So now you admit that there's something wrong! What, is she trying to get pregnant again? Or dating another man-child who's now stalking her? Oh I know! She's…"

"Shut it House! I already told you: nothing's wrong with Cuddy!" Then, the brown eyed doctor just smiled sweetly, making his friend shift uncomfortably in his chair. That smile never meant anything good…

"What's with the stupid grin again?" he grumbled.

"You know, I think it's actually kind of sweet." Wilson answered cryptically. House just raised an eyebrow and sent his friend a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look.

"What? It is!", Wilson insisted, "You keep doing all these insane things just to get her attention. It's like a little boy pulling the pigtails off the girl on whom he has a crush. I'm gonna keep saying it House, just ask her out. It's going to save us all a lot of misery."

And again that stupid grin.

House was seconds away from wiping it off of Wilson's face with some help of his cane.

"Well that's great Dr. Seuss. You just reminded me why I never ask for your advice in the first place." House snarled, before getting up and making his way towards the door.

Sighing, Wilson replied: "I thought you wanted to grab lunch with me?"

"Nah, sorry Jimmy, changed my mind. You already made me reach the daily amount of Freudian crap I can take. I really can't bear any more of those conversations. Besides, I have some obsessing to do!" House smirked before leaving his best friends office without closing the door of course…

"I was serious House! Ask her out or leave her alone!" Wilson yelled after the diagnostician's retreating form.

"Whatever you say Jimmy!" came the muffled reply from down the hall.

"Now that was helpful." House muttered under his breath while making his way to his office. Slouching down in his chair, feet propped up on the ottoman, he started to ponder the events of the day once again. Wilson might not believe him, but that didn't mean House was gonna let this go.

No, he was sure something was different about his boss lady today and he desperately wanted to find out what. Besides, it's not like he had anything else to do. He didn't have any interesting cases and he would rather die than go down to the clinic and waste his time on a couple of idiots with the sniffles.

Debating his next course of action the grumpy doctor decided that the time had come to actually confront Cuddy about the matter. And this time he wouldn't let her get away without a decent explanation regarding her odd behavior. Determined to get an answer, the diagnostician found himself once again in the elevator, heading towards the Dean's office.

After scaring off Cuddy's newest secretary and her feeble attempts to stop him ("Doctor Cuddy has requested to be left alone Doctor House!" Did they seriously think that was going to keep him from entering?), he barged -once again without knocking- through the doors of the Dean's office. Needless to say that he was surprised to find it dark, with all the blinds closed and his boss crying on her couch in the corner of the room.

House was momentarily at a loss for words before he snapped out of his stupor and asked tentatively:

"Cuddy…?"

* * *

><p><strong>So...? I've already written an outline of the next few chapters, which will start to give you guys some answers. I hope I'll be able to update sometime soon, especially since I have a break from college the next two weeks. I'll try to write as much as I can then. In the meantime you could click on the nice, blue link bellow this rant of mine to leave me a message. It might encourage me to write faster ;). Seriously, even if it's just to yell at me because I'm a horrible author, I totally deserve it!<strong>

**xoxo**

** E.**


End file.
